Sam Rainsy, whose family was driven out of Cambodia as a child, returned home from France after the Paris Peace Agreement of 1991 to help rebuild his country. A successful financier in Paris, Sam Rainsy served as Cambodia’s finance minister from 1993 to 1994. He challenged the corrupt system of government that he found, seeking to put tax collection on a professional footing and to end the stripping of Cambodia’s natural resources such as timber by smugglers.

Forced out of government as a result, he created the Sam Rainsy Party as a democratic platform to challenge the rule of a narrow clique of insiders, many of whom were former Khmer Rouge members. The SRP’s early supporters were drawn from textile factory workers working 10-hour days for about $1 a day. Sam Rainsy helped to create Cambodia’s first free trade union in 1996, the Free Trade Union of Workers of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The union called for a minimum wage and respect of basic rights at work. After a series of large-scale strikes, many of the union’s demands were accepted.

Swollen by support from the victims of large-scale government land seizures in Phnom Penh and across Cambodia, the SRP gained in strength in successive elections and in 2012, merged with Kem Sokha’s Human Rights Party to create the Cambodia National Rescue Party, the country’s first united democratic opposition to Hun Sen’s dictatorship. Despite large-scale electoral abuses, the CNRP came close to defeating the Cambodia People’s Party in the 2013 elections.

Sam Rainsy has consistently sought to achieve reforms of Cambodia’s electoral system through negotiation, and to influence government policy through constructive debate. He negotiated with Prime Minister Hun Sen after the 2013 elections to reform the country’s National Election Committee and improve voting lists. This would have led to the will of ordinary Cambodians being more accurately reflected in elections scheduled for July 2018.

Repeatedly elected as a democratic representative in parliament since 1993, Sam Rainsy was forced back into exile in 2015. He stood down as CNRP leader in 2017 to prevent his politically motivated court convictions from being used as pretext to dissolve the party. The party was dissolved in November 2017. Rainsy’s successor as CNRP leader, Kem Sokha, is now in prison.

February2018

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1

Catfish Voodoo

Catfish Voodoo

Date: February 1, 2018

Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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2

Stu King & Greg Stott

Stu King & Greg Stott

Date: February 2, 2018

Time: 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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3

4

5

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7

Irene Natividad Address

Irene Natividad Address

Date: February 7, 2018

Time: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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8

Bad Luck Kitty

Bad Luck Kitty

Date: February 8, 2018

Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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9

Mike Price Combo

Mike Price Combo

Date: February 9, 2018

Time: 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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12

The Hon Kevin Rudd Address

The Hon Kevin Rudd Address

Date: February 12, 2018

Time: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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13

14

Professor Emma Johnston Address

Professor Emma Johnston Address

Date: February 14, 2018

Time: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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15

Sam Rainsy Address

Sam Rainsy Address

Date: February 15, 2018

Time: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

Roy Payne's Hillbilly Bop Safari

Roy Payne's Hillbilly Bop Safari

Date: February 15, 2018

Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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16

Rachael Thoms & Lachlan Coventry

Rachael Thoms & Lachlan Coventry

Date: February 16, 2018

Time: 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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21

Hon Peter Dutton MP Address

Hon Peter Dutton MP Address

Date: February 21, 2018

Time: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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22

Jeff & Deej Band

Jeff & Deej Band

Date: February 22, 2018

Time: 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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23

Hugh Barrett

Hugh Barrett

Date: February 23, 2018

Time: 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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24

Local Craft Brewers Degustation

Local Craft Brewers Degustation

Date: February 24, 2018

Time: 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm

5 course - matching beers - guest speakers - PRIZES!

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia

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Professor Margaret Gardner AO Address

Professor Margaret Gardner AO Address

Date: February 28, 2018

Time: 11:30 am to 1:30 pm

National Press Club of Australia, 16 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600, Australia